One Cup of Tea at a Time
by inflection
Summary: Five years after the Uchiha's coup, days of orange skies and ash-filled air, no Uchiha are allowed to become shinobi. Devastated and distraught, Sasuke seeks comfort in an old teashop. In a world where all hate his name as much as they hate his blood, Sasuke dives deeper into what started out only as a hobby but may now hold a bright yet fragile path of restoring his clan's honor.
1. Chapter 1

Five years after the Uchiha's coup, days of orange skies and ash-filled air, no Uchiha are allowed to become shinobi. Devastated and distraught, Sasuke seeks comfort in an old teashop. In a world where all hate his name as much as they hates his blood, Sasuke dives deeper into what started out only as a hobby but may now hold a bright yet fragile path of restoring his clan's honor.

* * *

 _"_ _Jī-san!"_

Two boys always used to always rush into his teashop on weekends. Following would usually be an adult: a young and strong man with dashing looks that would turn the heads of young ladies. The old man would always laugh to himself when the ladies paled upon seeing his hand, displaying a gold band. The ladies would then focus on the two boys intently, as if trying to discern the identity of the woman who had stolen such a fine man.

Though, on days like this, rarely does even one boy come.

"Hello, Jī-san," comes a hollow voice with sunken eyes and a thin frame. He steps in with the dull tinkling of the bell hanging on the handle and closes the entrance behind him quietly.

"Sasuke-kun!" he replies heartily, trying to raise his spirits. The boy doesn't look any more cheerful. Sasuke realizes the old man is trying to cheer him up, but there is no way he can be happy.

 _I studied harder than anyone else…I trained harder than anyone else…I…_

Yet, why can't he feel the cold metal of a deserved hitai-ate on his forehead?

Rage and frustration and sorrow swirl in him as he stands in the entrance a few minutes before opening time. _I shouldn't have come here…_ He keeps his face as calm as he can, but the old man sees through him. _He probably hates me too. It's no surprise; I shouldn't even have been allowed to take that Academy Exit Exam._ The old man strokes his beard, thinking. Then he steps out from behind the counter and strides towards Sasuke. Sasuke looks at him seriously and contemplates taking a step back and just running out and accepting his fate but…

The man turns over his open sign to read closed to the customers. He pulls down the blinds to the glass-paneled shop and gestures for Sasuke to follow him. Cautious and distrusting yet too emotionally battered to bring himself to refuse, Sasuke follows.

The man leads him into the back of the store where a traditional tatami mat-lined room opens up before him.

"Sit," he says. Sasuke complies wordlessly. _But…this place has always been so peaceful._

Sasuke looks around at the walls, a pale green, and at an alcove to his right with a hanging scroll and carefully arranged flowers in a ceramic vase. Right before him is a hearth where water quietly boils in a metal kettle.

The man leaves the room for a while before coming back with a small wooden box. He sets it down before looking at Sasuke. Sasuke looks at the tatami mats, ready to hear a familiar string of words: Get out. Which is usually followed by: Traitor. Or: Filthy Uchiha. Or a variant of the two. Sasuke has gotten used to the words falling upon his ears, but not the hate that it stings with.

 _Please…Jīsan, it would be so much better if you just threw me out. Throw something at me like a teacup or a glass or something…a scratch on my skin might drown out the pain. Don't you know that letting me get closer to you will—_

"Sit properly," the man says. Sasuke looks up in shock, and is met by stern, yet kind, brown eyes. The more Sasuke looks for hatred in the man's eyes, the less it seems to exist. The man sits down on a tatami mat across the hearth from Sasuke.

"Calm down, Sasuke-kun," the man mildly admonishes him, "I'm too old to hate. And I've known you since you were very small; I know you're a good child. Now, sit properly. You have to sit properly."

Sasuke furrows his brows, "Why?"

"You'll see," the man's eyes crinkle up in a smile, "Sit like me."

The man sits with his legs folded neatly underneath him with his back straight. He waits to open the box beside him until Sasuke follows suit. He opens and reaches into the box and with two hands carefully takes out a bowl, a bamboo whisk, a bamboo scoop, a red square cloth, a small black lacquered container, and a bamboo ladle.

Sasuke stares in shock as the man moves gracefully and deliberately before him. No movement is wasted. Sasuke had always viewed the man as too old to move comfortably. He'd thought the man was like Kagami-jīsan had grumbled about arthritis and pain and aches. He'd thought the man was too old to look as timeless as the art before him. He'd thought the man was…just some old kind man who just worked behind the counter.

 _'_ _Just this cup, sir? Is that all you'll be buying today?'_

 _The young man nodded._

 _The old man shook his head, still carrying a placid expression. Sasuke turned to his friend, 'What a weird old man. Doesn't he know your Tou-san already decided on what he wants to buy? Kind of pushy if you ask me.'_

 _His friend didn't nod. He looked at his father the moment he heard the words leave the old man's lips, 'Today is a special day for your family. This tea,' he put forth an extra lacquered container with a strange inscription on it, 'Is special. Please, take it. It's free.'_

The art of making tea blurs by him.

Sasuke stares at his hands on his knees. _What was that? Why am I remembering that now?_

He looks up at the man, who offers him a bowl with green tea in it, "Here. First, rotate the bowl clockwise slightly so the cup's front isn't facing you. Then take three sips. Then, turn it counterclockwise so the front of the cup is facing you, and then if there's another guest to be served tea, hand it to them after wiping the surface your lips touched. Then bow to the host and sit patiently with good posture until the other guests are done. Well, being that there are no other guests, the last parts don't really apply. But try it."

 _Isn't he just a kind old man who works behind the counter? Just…selling tea and cups and teapots?_

There's something in the man's eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Truly…there is no hate in the man's eyes. The man defies logic. He defies logic! Why doesn't he hate him? He's the same as the killers in his clan! They have the same name, eyes, hair, blood, kekkei genkai…! Especially the ones still alive, who shouldn't be! They killed innocent citizens while Uchiha who tried to go against the current of hatred five years were killed by angry Konoha shinobi. They were thrown into pits of fire, electrocuted, drowned, and forced to endure the greatest physical and mental pain. The old man surely has lost family and friends to his clan's hate! There isn't anyone alive or dead without that pain!

 _I don't deserve this!_

"Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke pales as his heart races in his chest with fear, "W-wha…"

"The tea ceremony is a formal occasion that shows a host's deep consideration for his guests. Being given such a carefully made bowl of tea, an art of in it of itself, requires the guest to also show appreciation and consideration. What kind of guest doesn't take the tea and simply ignores his host? I'm not sure what's clouding your mind, Sasuke-kun, but I don't think it's important enough to not have the time to take and appreciate tea. Tea calms the soul. Drink, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke takes the bowl. He turns it, brings it to his lips, and drinks. The thick tea runs over his tongue and sticks to his tongue and teeth. Its flavor is rich and deep yet bitter. He drinks it in one large gulp.

 _It's delicious._

The bowl falls from Sasuke's hands.

His vision gets blurry and his chest aches. His body quivers. He slams his hands over his face and curls forward, trying to keep his sobs inside.

"J-jī-san…" Sasuke's voice cracks.

The man waits patiently.

"It's…delicious… _It's delicious_!" Sasuke sobs. He raises his head. Watery and glistening black eyes meet elderly brown ones. The man bows and Sasuke bows, "P-please…teach me how to serve tea. Teach me the art of making tea! Teach me _sado!_ "

"As you wish, Sasuke-kun," the man says.

A tiny flicker. A tiny flicker of hope. It burns faintly, but it's there. Sasuke can feel it. Sasuke can see it. It burns so much more brightly than the depression and hopelessness and guilt in his heart. It's the first time he's felt it since so long ago. Sasuke beams as tears of joy still stream down his cheeks and cut through the grime of sadness. He tries to wipe them away, but his joy won't stop.

"Thank you…thank you…" Sasuke says, holding his head up high with his back straight and his eyes clear, "I won't let you down!"


	2. Chapter 2

Five years after the Uchiha's coup, days of orange skies and ash-filled air, no Uchiha are allowed to become shinobi. Devastated and distraught, Sasuke seeks comfort in an old teashop. In a world where all hate his name as much as they hates his blood, Sasuke dives deeper into what started out only as a hobby but may now hold a bright yet fragile path of restoring his clan's honor.

* * *

An array of glass jars sits before the two, gleaming in the soft morning sunlight that filters in. From deep green powders to thin green-greyish strips of dried leaves to dried leaves mixed with toasted brown rice, from tiny orange flowers to deep red dried fruits, the scent of earth and leaves fills the room. Sasuke walks around the long and narrow room with shock and wide eyes. He turns around and around trying to take it all in. Over a hundred, no, five hundred, no…perhaps _thousands_ of teas rest in identical glass jars on dark wooden shelves. A fine powder settles on Sasuke more and more as he moves forward. His eyelashes bat it away and his hair, usually sporting a sheen in the sun, has taken on a matte color from all of the powder.

"There are many types of tea, Sasuke-kun."

"You don't say…" Sasuke says absentmindedly as his legs carry him farther and farther from the doorway.  
No labels or engravings exist on the shelves or jars. Sasuke stops despite his muscles urging him to move and his eyes eager to look round and round to see and learn. He gazes at two jars, whose green leaves look, no matter how he tilts his head or squints, exactly the same.

Something pulls Sasuke to keep walking.

Fluidly, Sasuke's feet cut through the air and his mind keeps him moving forward. His world slowly blurs until he focuses on a single point in the distance where he supposes the end of the collection is.

"Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke flinches hard and nearly falls over as he lets out a cry of surprise.

"Jī-san!" Sasuke exclaims. He stares at the man for a moment, and then takes his outstretched hand.

"Overwhelming, I suppose," he chuckles, "You're not the first to be captivated by the sheer amount of variety. But, regardless…" Sasuke follows the man as he shuffles towards the doorway.

"Did you notice it?" he looks at Sasuke out of the corner of his eye seriously.

"Notice what?" Sasuke asks.

"I take it you didn't then," he walks with his hands behind his back, "There's 'something' pulling you to look more and more. Yet, the desire to look overpowers the desire to take anything. Eventually, if I left you here, you'd waste away gaping and stumbling at the jars. You wouldn't ever open one; you'd just gaze at each one like you've never seen it before. You'd forget that you've spent hours, days, and months here. In the end, you'd starve and die."

Sasuke cringes, "Why do you have something like that?"

"It's a one-way barrier that once a chakra signature has been in it for a certain amount of time, a series of illusions cloud common sense and reason. You might wander to the doorway at some point by chance, but signatures can only go in and never out," the man laughs, "Scary, right? I use it for security purposes, since some of the tea here are rare and valuable. But don't worry, Sasuke-kun. As long as you have a drink of tea before heading in there, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"You don't sound too convincing," Sasuke admits.

The two reach the doorway and he closes the door, much to Sasuke's obvious relief. He sighs and shivers with narrowed eyes that speak to his lost trust in the door that in the beginning seemed to hold so much wonder. _Come on, Jīsan! Show me! How else am I going to master_ sado _if I don't get acquainted with the tea I'll be using?_ Pressing his lips into a thin line of wariness, Sasuke huffs indignantly at the deceptive door, looking as ordinary as the one that led him from behind the counter to the 'back' of the shop. _I can't believe I said that earlier...how stupid._

Jī-san looks at Sasuke, "What? Weren't you the one who was dying to go in there? Why, you sprinted here and breathlessly demanded that we have some tea. Upon looking around as you sipped along, you saw a few jars under the counter and identified them. Eagerly with a glitter in your eyes," the man stifles a laugh, "You insisted that I tell you if your predictions were correct. Then you wanted to see if I had any more jars and I thought I should let you experience it for yourself," he can't hold his laughter in and simply cackles as he takes a seat behind the counter, "' _Come on, Jīsan! Show me! How else am I going to master the art of making tea if I don't get acquainted with the tea I'll be using?_ '"

Sasuke scowls, "I've never seen anything beyond the counter, you know."

He laughs harder, "Even though you've gotten taller, you're still as curious and innocent and easily _conned_ as you were a few years ago!"

"Alright, I get it!" Sasuke crosses his arms and huffs, "Just teach me _sado_!" He furrows his brows and shuts his eyes in mild irritation and embarrassment.

The man cups his chin, feigning deep thought as he looks into the distance, "Well..."

"Hn?" Sasuke opens one eye halfway, wary of the old man's sharp words and sharper tricks, "Well?" he mimics, looking at the man with distaste.

"Sasuke-kun…" the man starts in a warbling voice, feigning deep wisdom.

Hope, like a small flower, slowly rises in Sasuke's heart as the man's words—

"Truth be told, you were wrong for every jar."

"Shut up!" Sasuke's ears burn with humiliation. _I'm supposed to be the heir to my clan, not made fun of like a puppet to entertain you, Jī-san!_

He titters into his sleeve as he looks at Sasuke with half-lidded brown eyes and points a finger at him, "Hehe, you're more easily riled up than I thought~"

* * *

He pours yet another cup of steaming tea into the porcelain cup. He carefully sets down the teapot. On a white background, orange birds splash and dance and dive around the teapot's surface, surrounded by wide deep green leaves and small blue flowers. The edges of the lid are decorated with a raised series of royal blue half-circles joined at each end.

It was on sale last week in a store down the street, and the old man couldn't help himself.

Blindfolded, Sasuke reaches for the cup.

 _I've been at this for over two hours._

The old man props his feet up on another chair. _Sunday, huh? The boy's been at this for two weeks now…he's failed at identifying any tea by its scent or taste. I wonder if he's truly cut out to be a Teishu to be serving tea to his guests…_

Sasuke breathes in the fragrance of the tea.

Still, the old man has some hope.

 _I hope he gets this right. It's costing me tea._

Sasuke takes a sip.

 _Well, Sasuke-kun?_

He takes another.

 _Now you've certainly gotten a taste. What's your answer?_

A bead of sweat runs down his face. He takes another.

 _Just confirming, right?_

"What kind of tea is this?" the old man slides his feet off of the chair and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

Sasuke doesn't reply immediately.

 _I've only brewed five different teas and given him a random one each time. This'll be…_

"This is…" Sasuke starts.

 _Cup number…_

"Sencha?" Sasuke pulls up the blindfold, revealing one eye.

 _Two hundred and fifty-four!_

" _Hoji_ cha," the old man groans as he covers his face with a hand, "Don't you taste the toasty, roasted flavor? These leaves, grown in late summer, are not the first leaves to grow—those are picked in spring. After harvesting, at high temperatures, these leaves are then roasted over charcoal. Sencha is pressed and steamed and has a mildly bitter taste. In spring, the first and second flushes of leaves are harvested to make _sen_ cha."

Sasuke takes another sip and looks away, "Y-yeah. I knew that. You told me that last week."

 _You didn't!_


End file.
